Ride to Live Circuit Race

The team got the opportunity to race at the Barber Motorsports Park over Easter weekend in the Ride to Live Cancer Classic Road Circuit Race. The road course covers 2.38 miles, has 17 turns, 80 feet of elevation change, and a 45 foot wide racing surface.

Stacey kicked things off early in the morning and actually had decent weather contrary to what the weatherman said should be happening. Stacey raced hard and earned her first road racing podium finishing 3rd.

Mick and Payne had the unfortunate duty of racing the CAT 5 race in the rain. Both of them avoided the accidents on the slick pavement. Mick raced hard, and Payne notced himself a top 15 finishing 11th.

Payne must have drawn the short straw for the day. Not only did he double-up racing the Cat 5's and Juniors, but he also had to race in the rain and cold in both of his races. Shivering and tired, Payne wound up on the podium with a 2nd place finish.

Larry, Mike G., Ashley, and Alan raced in the Masters 4/5 30+ race. The sun came out, the track dried, but the wind remained. We were a man down with Herring suffering from a respiratory infection, but he was at the pit wall cheering us on. Larry finished the highest at 15th, Alan and Ashley finished right next to each other, and Garner suffered a "racing deal". All finished up-right and in one piece.

Both Larry and Alan felt strong enough to pull the double and also did the CAT 4 race. Alan led out early and both riders raced really hard. Larry pulled his second top 20 of the day finishing 16th.

It was a great day for Team CCR. We had 2 podiums, and thankfully we avoided all the accidents. We all came out of it healthy and with our bikes in one piece. Here are some pictures from the races. Enjoy!

Tour de Tuscaloosa

The team kicked off the season with a short road trip down to Tuscaloosa to participate in the Tour de Tuscaloosa. The Saturday race, The City of Tuscaloosa Criterium, brought out the strongest attendance from the team. We were greeted with bright blue skies, warm temperatures, and great racing. The difficult 1.2 mile course was a figure eight with 8 corners to navigate. The roads had seen better days, and the wind added another degree of excitement as we navigated around the course.

Mick raced hard in his very first Cat 5 criterium ever.

Mike G. came back to racing on the road after a year off and earned a top 25.

Larry doubled up and did both the Master's 35/45+ race and then did his first race as a Cat 4.

Mike H. battled hard in the Masters 35/45+ race.

Alan also raced in the 4's and put in a solid effort.

On Sunday, Alan and Josh headed out to participate in day 2 of racing at Lurleen State Park. As the field rolled out mother nature unleashed her fury on the riders. Several riders, including Josh, opted for the safe route and withdrew because of the racing conditions. Alan's race started after the rain, but the roads were still rain slicked. He put in some solid efforts, and raced really hard. Earned a top 30 against a very stacked field.

Overall the team was pleased with their first weekend racing. We all came out of it in one piece and healthy.

Next stop the Ride to Live Road Race at Barber Motor sports Park.

Check out pictures from Mike G.'s album.

Ouachita Challenge

Hardwick debuted the new colors last weekend while competing in the Ouachita Challenge in Arkansas. The Ouachita Challenge is a mountain bike race that traverses the Womble Trail, Ouachita Trail, and forestry roads. Unlike most races where you have different age classifications and skill levels, this was old school. They broke the field into Men's, Women's, and Single Speed. Hardwick battled hard but had an issue with his chain that had him off the pace for 10-15 minutes. He finished strong in the top half of the field. Good effort for the first race of the year!